Sree Sakthi Paper Mills, which was slapped with a closure notice by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board on Wednesday, stopped its operations on Thursday.
The factory, located on the banks of the Periyar, was found to be releasing untreated/partly treated effluents into the river. The Periyar is the drinking water source for Kochi city and adjoining areas. Environmentalists had been complaining that many industrial units were discharging toxic effluents into the river system and jeopardising the health of the people of Kochi.
Though the paper mill had ignored the board’s notice and continued with the operations of the plant till Wednesday evening, it stopped functioning the next day. The company has started preparing a tank in which it is proposed to hold the effluents. The mill will have to ensure that no effluents are drained into the river, said an official of the board.
Treatment facilities
The closure notice will be in force till the company comes clean on the disposal and treatment of its effluents. After ensuring proper treatment facilities, it will also have to give an undertaking to maintain the zero discharge status, the official said.
The plant cannot be allowed to function till it compiles with all statutory provisions of the law, the official said.
Incidentally, the board had, in its closure notice, pointed out that the company had not complied with the discharge and emission standards as laid down under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and Environment (Protection) Act 1986.
The closure notice stated that the board had extended many times the deadline for the unit to comply with the statutory requirements regarding its effluent treatment. However, the company had repeatedly flouted it. Inspections carried out by the board officials near the Pathalam bridge indicated that the dissolved oxygen levels in the water was very low during the past few days. The quality of water, including the pH value and dissolved oxygen, around the outlet points of the paper mills was very low, the notice pointed out.
The factory
was found to be releasing untreated effluents into
the Periyar
